I was an usher in 1979. We had to wear a tie and sport coat back then. I remember having a coke and popcorn every night at break, and using shovels to clean out the 2 auditoriums during Christmas time What a great job as a high school kid.

9/11/2004 - Greg Fitrakis

I was manager of the Eastland Theatre from 1973 thru 1977. My time there included the re-modeling into 2 screens. (No one liked the twining but it was necessary due to the multi screen theatres being built). My employee staff remained nearly the same for my entire time at this location. (Maybe the best staff I ever had in my 40 years in theatre Management.

Thanks crew! Wherever your at.

1/11/2004 - Cinema Treasures

A Suburban Detroit theater, the 1200-seat Eastland opened in 1969 and was originally designed by Ted Rogvoy, the architect who earlier designed such Detroit-area treasures as the now-lost Mercury in Detroit, the State-Wayne in Wayne, and the Terrace in Livonia. In 1975, it was twinned as the Eastland 1 & 2, with one of the auditoriums screening 70mm features. In 1985, just as Suburban Detroit was selling the Eastland 1 & 2 to the AMC chain, it opened five more screens at the Eastland Mall, the Eastland 3-7. AMC remodeled both theater buildings in 1987, which included reducing seating to around 450 in each of the twin's auditoriums. The Eastland 3-7 was renamed the AMC Eastland Mall 5.

Though both the 1 & 2 and Eastland Mall theaters were part of the AMC chain, the two were effectively two separate theaters, causing a bit of confusion as to which movie was playing at which location. In 2000, both Eastland theaters were among the many smaller, out-dated Detroit-area houses which AMC shuttered during that year. Cinema Treasures Link.